August 1 2025

August Camp is jam-packed with iconic camp moments. It is just barely long enough to provide all the things girls dream about for a perfect camp experience. We have continuously expanded and improved every aspect of this property to make the dream come true. The location is iconic: scenic mountains, peaceful lake, fantastic waterpark, rustic (but not too rustic) cabins, good food, excellent infrastructure (electric, gas, water, and tech are essential), and nice facilities. The community is perfect: kind and committed staff and happy campers bonded together in a shared mission to glorify God. And the program is finely tuned to check all the boxes (fun, safe, tradition, innovation).

Last night, we introduced team competition to the girls, and they loved it! There is something about competition that bonds, and camp is the perfect place to see the effect. We maintain a tight rein on the spirit of competition (which, if we aren’t careful, can turn in negative directions). Our games and cheers are tempered with good sportsmanship and kindness amidst the passionate team spirit. This will come to a head this morning as with Challenge Day (our big competition day between the teams). When the end-of-camp scores are announced at the banquet, our little valley will ring with the roar of the girls as they celebrate the accomplishment.

We ended the day with s’mores by the lake. The perfect ending to a perfect day. Nothing more iconic than that! Everyone had a blast and returned to their cabins with big smiles on their face and high hopes in their hearts for another great day just around the corner.

The cooler weather trend continues with high temperatures in the low 80s today. An early afternoon rain shower (no thunder, light rain) kept us from reaching our high of 84 yesterday, 80 felt great and is setting the new norm for this session! Most of the girls accept the perfection without a thought. Such is childhood… but as adults, we know to be thankful when circumstances are so good.

A day at camp is good in ways that are deceptively simple. The promotional video on this subject was designed to appeal to children, but it covers the high points if you want to know about camp life. When I watched the video, my first impression was that camp life does not translate well to video. Camp is real, authentic, sweet, boring, exciting, funny, sad, interesting, satisfying, inspiring, and delightful. How do you convey this complex stew of an experience apart from being here? We like to call it “the bubble,” and I think that word fits my feelings of this place.

The bubble is apart from the world. We don’t care much about what is happening in the world or what people’s opinions of those events are. The lack of screens is essential for this attitude. In the real world, we are constantly distracted. We think we are multitasking, but this productivity comes at the expense of our friends and family. It also distracts from the beauty of sunlight filtering through pine trees or fog hanging on the side of a mountain. We just don’t have time to take in the slow-moving beauty of the world around us. At camp, what matters is the person who is walking down the lower road at the same time or casting a line in the same fishing class. Little blessings are noticed in such a setting, and the cumulative effect is comforting.

The impact of the bubble is great on campers of all ages. Younger campers have fun doing activities and having an epic sleepover. The older girls add to the simplicity of the setting is the complexity of their relationships (deep, meaningful conversations) and the depth of their unselfishness (the secret of Greystone is unselfishness… the expression of which is a beautiful thing to experience).

But it is not all sunshine and rainbows… camp, like life, is sometimes hard. Most of us experience moments of sadness that come and go with reducing frequency as we adjust to camp and learn to find the good in every situation. Moments that dragged on when we focused on ourselves turn to fading mist in the bright sunshine of unselfishness. Once exercised, this attitude gets stronger. It gradually becomes a superpower that is accessible in any setting. A 21st-century skill that will serve them well.

The bottom line is that this is a wonderful place… warts and all. The good and the bad work together harmoniously in an almost magical way. This is, of course, The Holy Spirit who is pleased to bless our mission: to delight and inspire for the glory of God.

Thank you for making it possible.